On 8/24 I got a request for an esoteric book, it had 2 people wishing for it.  I said Great!  I am new here, so I said yes, all excited that someone who had been wishing for a book for years wanted this OP book, and sent it off on 8/26 using USPS DC at the Post Office.

It was delivered 9/2.  I pm'ed the requestor 48 hours ago, cheerfully asking if they received the book.  No reply.  Okay, now I look through all my transactions, and yes, the original request is still in my file (club communications from PBS), but now what do I do?  I went to the requestor's page, and they have no books listed, just a wish list.  No profile, no nothing.  I now understand that I am probably out a really nifty book, the postage, the Delivery confirmation, and a really cool book.  What should I do in this type of situation?  I am new, a book-lover, and am feeling very sour about this.  Suggestions?

From the Help Center:

If a book you sent hasn't been marked received yet...

I would add a couple of things, since it has only been 48hrs, I wouldn't worry too much yet. The receiver may not have gotten online to respond to you yet, they may not have had a chance to check at home to see if someone else brought the book in and put it somewhere, or they may be tracking it down with their post office if it wasn't delivered to them and they'll respond to you when they are able. Also, if you are going to use DC and can use the PBS printable postage, then do so. It is cheaper than buying it at the PO and gives you credit guarantee.

I did look at the help documents before posting.  Being new, it never occured to me there would be this type of problem.  Can people wish-list/order books from you with no books on their shelf?  Obviously, they can.  However I am too new to realize this.  So I guess the sour taste is the feeling of being scammed with no hints or protections.  I may be sadder and wiser, but the world is out a nifty book.

There could be a zillion different reasons for why they haven't marked it received and why they haven't replied.  I once was getting anxious about the same thing and eventually got a reply that they were in the hospital.  Be patient.  You just never know.

Though it does seem a long time since delivery for it not to be marked 'received', they could be out of town on business, vacation, or to attend to a family emergency.  Since we have around 3 weeks for each transaction to finish, it is still early to worry that you have been gypped out of a credit.

Here's hoping you end up with a successful transaction.  I really hate it when our new members start off with a bad swap. 

You don't have to have any books posted to order, you just need a credit.

It has been 2 days since your message, so wait 3 more and ask PBS to look into it. Give them the DC number and the dates.

Some peeps don't send books to earn a credit. Some purchase credits from the site or from other members, or transfer credits they've earned from the dvd and cd sites.

I understand why an empty bookshelf was a red flag for you, but it isn't necessarily a bad thing and doesn't mean you were scammed. I hope this  transaction works out well for you!

Or they are just like me and only post WL books when they need credits and usually don't have a bookshelf.

You never know what's going on in the other person's life so don't assume the worst of them right off the bat.  Give them a few more days to respond and then contact PBS if they don't. If you are going to stress out this much about the loss of a credit then use the PBS DC and get the credit guarantee. To me it's a waste of money but I don't let the possibility of a lost credit stress me out.  But it bothers some members and so they use the DC. 

This is why I pay the little extra and use PBS postage. Since I get my credit up front, I don't worry about someone not marking the book received.

When I first joined, I watched every tracking for each book. Impatient for the book or the credit. Now, I'm much calmer. Have enough books and credits. 

That said, I do use PBS postage for multiple book orders or for books going over water. Just worth it then to not wait.

For future books, you might want to consider the PBS postage.  I like the DC and the guaranteed credit, and it is very convenient to be able to print the postage at home and just drop in whatever mail in convenient without having to stand in line.

As to the lack of response - I think you should give it a few more days.  Patience is hard, I know!  I recently had a book arrive and the sender was PM-ing me about it.  I was out of town, the book was sitting in my PO box, and I couldn't get to it.  It was about 3 days from the time the book arrived in the box until I came home and marked it received - well within the time frame - but the poor sender was worried about their credit.

It's probably going to work out fine - the requestor is out of town, or busy with back to school things, or hasn't been able to get to the PO to pick up their mail and will mark it received shortly.

Abigail I would not worry about the book not being marked received yet.  When I go on vacation book packages can sit for up to 8-10 days before I get home to mark them received.  PBS will also send a reminder to the recipient after a period of time asking if they received the book and asking for them to mark it mailed.  I would not panic or worry at this point. 

Another vote for the PBS postage. Just dropping it in the nearest blue box and no standing in line and you got your credit as soon as you mark it mailed.